Football: Allegri to leave Juventus at end of season

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri held meetings with the club's hierarchy earlier in the week during which a clear disagreement between the two parties emerged. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

ROME (AFP) - Coach Massimiliano Allegri will leave Italian Serie A champions Juventus at the end of this season, the club said on Friday (May 17).

"Massimiliano Allegri will not be on the Juventus bench for the 2019/2020 season," the club announced in a surprise development.

Allegri held meetings with the club's hierarchy earlier in the week during which a clear disagreement between the two parties emerged.

Juventus have already wrapped up their eighth consecutive title, and Allegri's fifth in as many years since replacing Antonio Conte in 2014.

Despite signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid last summer, the Bianconeri failed to make it past the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the second successive season.

They were humiliated by modest-spending Ajax in the last eight of the competition in April, despite a star-studded side including Ronaldo, Argentina's Paulo Dybala and France World Cup winner Blaise Matuidi.

Allegri guided Juve to two European finals - losing to Barcelona in 2015 before being hammered by Real Madrid two years later.

Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey has already signed for the Italian club on a free transfer from Arsenal for next season.

Allegri and club president Andrea Agnelli will hold a press conference on Saturday at 2pm (8pm Singapore time).

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